Pending home sales increased in December for the first time in six months, and new-home sales and mortgage applications are rising. New housing data released this week offers hope that the market slowdown may be short lived. Pending home sales rose 2.5% in December, ending a six-month slide, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Friday. New-home sales also rose 2.3% last month, according to the Commerce Department, and mortgage applicat
The interest rate for a 30-year loan is nearly a whole percentage point down from a 7.08% peak just two months ago.Affordability woes are still spooking buyers, but another decrease in mortgage rates could bring them back to the market. The interest rate for the 30-year mortgage averaged 6.13% this week, Freddie Mac reports, nearly a whole percentage point drop from a 7.08% peak just two months ago. This could boost homebuyer confidence and help
Moody’s Analytics finds that renters in the U.S. now pay 30 percent of the median income for the average rent.The typical American renter is now rent-burdened — meaning that 30 percent of the median U.S. income is required to pay the average rent, according to a new report from Moody’s Analytics.“This 30 percent is a symbolic threshold, a milestone,” said Thomas LaSalvia, the director of economic research at Moody’s.Reaching this thre
U.S. economic activity expanded faster than expected in the final three months of 2022, marking a resilient end to a year defined by stubborn inflation, rising interest rates, and battered financial markets.The Bureau of Economic Analysis' advance estimate of Q4 U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) showed the economy grew at an annualized pace of 2.9% during the period, faster than consensus forecasts. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had
If you’re in a cold-weather climate, don’t let the winter blues bring down your listing’s curb appeal.If you’re in a cold-weather climate, don’t let the winter blues bring down your listing’s curb appeal. Jackie Mosher, co-founder of Dzinly, a company that provides designer-approved digital exterior designs for inspiration, offers a few tips for sprucing up the outside.Brighten the Front Door “Even just a fresh paint coat of the exi
Whether selling or staying put, most homeowners could benefit from a little decluttering.Decluttering makes moving easier for everyone—and less costly, too. It is also helpful for those who want to live simpler in their current residence. In fact, having less clutter and being more intentional about what homeowners bring into their space is a positive for mental health and financial health.Many saw the wisdom of doing so during the pandemic whe
In separate initiatives, the ABA and CFPB are seeking to add to consumer protection measures related to mortgage lending Mortgage assistance for veterans needs to be updated in light of higher interest rates, according to the American Bankers Association (ABA) and other organizations.The ABA and 18 other groups wrote a joint letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) warning that current loss mitigation protocols for the VA Home
Existing-home sales fell 1.5% nationally between November and December while plunging 34% from December 2021, according to data released Friday by the National Association of Realtors Existing-home sales fell for the 11th month in a row in December, with sales falling in three out of four U.S. regions tracked.Sales of existing homes fell 1.5 percent nationally between November and December, and dropped 34 percent from December 2021
Last year, it was more expensive to rent than own. High home prices and mortgage rates that doubled in 2022 flipped that, according to a new report from property data firm Attom.People will spend a bigger percentage of their pay buying a home than renting one in 95 percent of the U.S., according to a new report from property data firm Attom.In 210 out of 222 counties analyzed, renting an average three-bedroom home was less expensive than buying o
Whether it’s a brand-new listing or last year’s listing that’s still languishing on the market, these updates will make it look like new This time last year, the market was so lively that many listing agents had only to pop a few photos on the MLS and multiple potential buyers would beat a path to the front door. What a difference a year makes. Now, many markets have cooled down and buyers are more discerning about what they’ll
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